The programs of the MSU Extension Service are available to all people regardless of race, creed, color, sex, disability or national origin. Issued in furtherance of cooperative extension work in agriculture and home economics, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, David Bryant, Dean and Director, Extension Service, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717.

Montana's Farming Future - By Jim Bauder, MSU Extension Soil and Water Quality Specialist

03/01/00 BOZEMAN -- What will Montana's farm industry look like in 20 years? In 50 years? Both of these seem a long way away, but in reality, they are not. In fact, in 50 years my grand daughter will be the same age I am right now - and it seems like only yesterday I was graduating from college and my first child was being born.

If you are interested in the answer to that question, I think you can get a good idea if you consider the following:

In October 1999, the world population reached 6 billion. The world population is projected to reach 14 billion by the year 2050. In 50 years, there will be nearly 2.5 times as many people on the earth as there are today. Can you imagine Billings with a population of a quarter million? And places like Bozeman with 180,000 people. What about Montana State University? Will its student population be 25,000 or 30,000 and the population of Montana be 2 million? The world population is not the only thing that will be growing. The global irrigated acreage has been, and probably will be growing, too, though not at the same rate.

If the world's ratio of irrigated land to population decreases, it means you probably shouldn't sell your irrigated land too soon or give up your water rights.

Personally, I think that by the year 2050, Montana land values will be much higher than anything we have ever seen. And, we will be growing high-value cash crops to feed the large urban populations.

In 1999, there was about 0.62 irrigated acres of land for each person on the earth. It is projected that this will drop to less than 0.5 irrigated acres of land for each person on the earth. Do you think you could grow all the food you needed for yourself each year on one-half acre?

That will be the challenge in the next 50 years.

Interesting Links:
http://extn.msu.montana.edu/About_20Us/agriculture/agriculture.html
http://www.agr.state.mt.us/
http://www.mgga.org/
http://www.beef.org/
http://www.ers.usda.gov/
http://www.nass.usda.gov/mt/homepage.htm
http://www.usda.gov/nass/
http://www.ranchers.net/